30319: Jaffe (reply) Re: 30305: Leiderman re 30299: Haiti's biology -- what to eat? what to burn? (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: JoAnn Jaffe <joann.jaffe@uregina.ca>

As a social scientist I am no expert in biofuels, but I would agree
with Stuart. In any case, the logic of growing food, such as corn or
sugarcane, to be converted to biofuels does not accord with the
Haitian reality, given the need for land for food, the amount of land
and yield necessary to make it economic (if the land is good enough
to produce non-cellulosic biofuels, it should be producing food), the
petroleum-based inputs necessary in the production cycle, etc. On the
other hand, using waste products to produce energy, as is already
done directly in the case of sugar and vetiver, makes sense, but may
not have that much potential for expansion. The solutions for the US
and Brazil, which are land rich, and, particularly in the case of the
US, struggling to find something to do with excess production, will
not be the same as for Haiti.

One option that we were exploring when I was working in Haiti was to
plant prosopis (bayawond aka mesquite) on marginal land to be used as
firewood. Prosopis is drought and poor soil tolerant, grows quickly,
fixes nitrogen, and coppices so that it may be harvested repeatedly
without needing replanting. The wood is very hard (so its fire burns
very hot), makes good charcoal, and can be used in furniture-making.
It produces a flower whose nectar is attractive to honey bees. The
honey it produces has a characteristic slightly smokey taste. The
plant is used by doktor fey as an anti-diarrhetic and for stomach
aches (roots), as an anti-influenzal (trunk gum), and for eye
irritations and infections (leaves in solution).  Its pods can be
eaten or ground into a flour (they were a dietary staple of the
southwestern first peoples). Of course, prosopis can become a
nuisance, just because it is so hardy and competitive.

In 1988 or 89, I visited an extensive test field of prosopis that was
trying several varieties from around the world. We took some back to
our project area and planted them out, but I do not know what
happened to either experiment. Does anyone else know? Please note, I
am offering this as one of many potential tools to consider, not as a
"magic bullet." Furthermore, no technological or technical fix will
solve the social, political, institutional and economic underpinnings
of the human and environmental crisis we see today in Haiti.

Best,
JoAnn Jaffe